Mild winter means an earlier start to allergy season in the Syracuse area

Mike Greenlar / The Post-StandardTrees blossom at the end of March along Plum Street in Franklin Square in Syracuse. This year's allergy season could be longer, and next year's could be worse, because the early spring has given trees more time to form pollen-forming buds, says allergist Dr. Michael Sheehan.

By Zoe Mintz
Contributing writer

Spring is in the air, and so is pollen. The mild weather in Central New York has accelerated the first phase of the seasonal allergy season. Trees are budding earlier, causing high pollen counts in the air. For some seasonal allergy sufferers, the sneezing, running nose, itchy throat and eyes caused by high pollen counts that would normally begin in early to mid-April, began in March.

"Just because it's early, it doesn't make it worse for everybody," said Dr. John Epling, chairman of family medicine at SUNY Upstate Hospital. Depending on the allergens and when they come out, each person is affected differently, he said. "It's kind of like predicting the weather."

Dr. Michael Sheehan is an allergist at Allergy, Asthma, Rheumatology Associates of Syracuse. Despite the warmer weather he said he has not seen an influx in patients pining for relief. Epling said he has experienced a similar turnout in his practice. Epling attributes this to patients' difficulty distinguishing cold and flu symptoms from allergy ones. The biggest difference between the two conditions is the presence of a fever. "Cold and flu symptoms go away. Allergies persist," Epling said.

Epling sees a longer allergy season this year as a possibility. Sheehan predicts next year's allergy season will be worse. "When we have an early spring, there's more time for trees to form pollen-forming buds," Sheehan said. "Next year the pollen counts will be very high."

Maple, willow, cottonwood and elm trees are among the worst culprits for pollen, said Donald Leopold, professor and department chairman of the Department of Environmental & Forestry Biology at SUNY ESF. Air from the south is another contributor. "There's more pollen in the air than we've seen before," he said.

According to Epling, most allergy sufferers can be treated by their primary care physicians. If symptoms persist, an allergist can administer shots and monitor a patient's progress. Epling's suggestion: "If over the counter medications are not doing it for you and you want advice, go see your primary care doctor."

Good to know Allergy symptoms
Itching in the nose, roof of the mouth, throat, eyes
-Sneezing
-Stuffy nose (congestion)
-Runny nose
-Tearing eyes
-Dark circles under the eyes Tips on avoiding allergy triggers
-Limit outdoor activities during days with high pollen counts.
-Keep windows closed (at home or in the car) to keep pollens out.
-Take a shower after coming indoors. Otherwise, pollen in your hair may bother you all night.
Source: American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology